The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-28
SINNERS TN BLACK HIDES.
MORE TESTIMONY ABOUT THEIR
TREA rMENT IN GEORGIA.

Capt. Lowe Takes the Stand in Con-
tinuation of His Testimony Capt.
English Tells of His Sympathy for the
Convicts and His Kind Treatment of
Them.
ATLANTA, GA, Sept 27.-The Governors
court met at o'clock this morning. Mr..
Lowe again took the stand The interest of
B, G. Lockett passed TO the witness. l.. A.
Jordan's interest went back into the COM
pany, and passed by division TO b. Howard
The interest of j. b, Gordon first passed to
Mr. Howard The trade was rescinded and
the convicts went back to Gen. Gordon.
Half of it passed from Gen. Gordon to the
witness, and half to Mr.. Howard, but stimuli
taneously it was transferred to the witness.
Half of the Jordan interest passed to the
witness and half to the Dade Coal Company.
Company No established branch in
Taylor county. Forty-five per cent of the
convicts went to that camp. Mr.. Howard
and Gen. Gordon were controlling them.
The Gordon 1873 per cent. went to the Dade
Coal Company All of the Gordon interest
came to the witness There was a contract
in writing by which the changes were evil
denced
Mr.. Brown wrote the deed from Mr..
Howard to the Dade Coal Company. This
paper recited that it was one-half the Cor
don interest Mr.. Brown wrote the Gordon
interest. Mr.. Howard signed it without re-
membering that the witness held that in
tereSt.
TRANSFERRED TO TAYLOR COUNTY.
There were forty-five or fifty convicts
transferred to Taylor county. Mr.. Howard
had first and last probably $50 convicts
under the lease act of 1876. He held them
till about 1881 or 1889.
"From 1879 to that timer
"No 1t was from 1879 to some time in
$780,"
Mr.. Lowe produced paper in which the
agreement was made. He could not say
whether there was time when these con-
victs were not in possession of j. b. Gordon.
but of C. B. Howard. Mr.. Howard was in
actual possession probably from 1879 to
some time in 1880. Company No. 2 has no
assets except its franchise. The company
worked As per cent. of the convicts in Tay-
lor county and the lessees there were to
have the profit or loss.
RECEIVED NO PROFIT.
The witness never received any profit
from the Taylor county camp. He paid
accumulated hire when he took charge Of
the Howard convicts. There was more
sickness at the Augusta camp the last eight
months. from December, 1886, up TO Au
gust, 1887, than there was for the two years
previous. In the eight months 10, 300 days
work had been rendered by eighty men.
Only forty-fve days were lost by sickness
two-thirds of per cent. was the death rate.
The witness never in his life touched con-
vict, or suggested to any one to whip con-
vict. He never failed to present an appli-
cation for pardon, and to represent the
man when asked to do so. The amendment
he suggested in regard to carrying convicts
home cost the lessees 1900 to 81, ,000a year.
CAPT. ENGLISH HEARD.
The next material witness was James W.
English, President of Company No. 3 He
had invested in the lease $40, 900 in cash and
had personally obliged himself for as much
more The witness had consulted Gov. Nc
Daniel before buying the lease. Gov. Nc
Daniel made not the slightest objec-
tion. Otherwise the witness would
witness had given much of his
time, day and night, to the care, control
and management of the convicts. This he
explained in detail During the term of the
contract on the Georgia Midland railroad
there was no time when the convict wanted
for anything either food, clothing or med-
cal attention. The same thing could be
said of the other conV1ctS under control OF
the witness He had almost invariably
gone beyond the law in furnishing supplies
HONEST AND CONSCIENTIOUS.
He had been honest and conscientious,
both from legal and moral sense, in the
discharge of his duty toward the convicts
The witness submitted and read from va
rious memoranda, showing amounts spent
for shoes, clothing, blankets, etc. This Gov
cred period of fourteen months the tipe
engaged on the Georgia Midland road. The
witness asserted as "A fact that cannot be
controverted that the conyicts Of his
county are better fed, and better clothed
and provided for, than the poor class Of
people in the country. 1t is
the interest of the lessees that
the convicts be properly cared for
The witness himself has sympathy
for the convicts and feels very Kindly
toward them, and has always treated them
that way Frequently applications are
made by convicts TO be assigned TO the wit
ness company, and nearly eight-tenths Of
his convicts whose terms expire ask TO be
employed so that they may stay. The wit
ness spoke of the great difficulties in man
aging convicts and of the care that was
necessary in the selection of the guards.
The hearing was then adjourned till to-
morrow afternoon.
IL is likely that all the evidence will be in
tomorrow, and the case ready for argu-
ment.